Who Says Blood is Thicker Than Water?
by Kiko Kamia
Summary: When Mustang finds out that one of his subordinates, the Liquid Alchemist, is in trouble, he sends Ed and Al to help her.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

"So, Ed . . . have any new information on the Philosopher's Stone?" Mustang asked in his usual tone.

"I dunno. You tell me." Ed retorted with a scowl.

Just before Mustang could reprimand Fullmetal, Riza Hawkeye burst into the room. "Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have an urgent message for you."

"What is it?" Roy asked bluntly. "As I'm sure you can see, I'm in the middle of something."

"It's about the Liquid Alchemist. She's in serious trouble." Hawkeye paused as Mustang punched his desk and swore. "The Ishballan assassin is after her. The last contact we had was a brief phone message a few days ago of her asking for back-up. Apparently, Scar hasn't been able to get her, but he's been close enough that she's worried."

"What's her location?" Mustang asked urgently, all but forgetting Ed's presence.

"Last we knew, she was in Resembool."

"Okay, I'll take it from here. You're dismissed." As Hawkeye left the room, Mustang turned to face Ed. "Elric, I've got an assignment for you."

**Chapter 1 **

**Beginning the Mission **

Ed and Al were sitting on a hard train car seat, wishing that there was a quicker and more comfortable way to reach their destination. Their mission was cut-and-dry, help the Liquid Alchemist get away from Scar and bring her safely back to Central.

"Brother, how will we know who she is? We were never even told her name." Al asked plaintively.

"According to Mustang, she's supposed to be one of the best State Alchemists around, and the youngest girl to be accepted. Supposedly, Mustang sends her on all of the _really_ important undercover missions, so she'll probably be hard to find." Ed sighed and shook his gold-blonde hair out of his face. "What I don't get is why Mustang is so shaken by this girl calling in for help. When I asked Hawkeye, she blew me off and told me that if I was supposed to know, I would've been told."

Al abruptly raised his head. "Why would she say that?"

"I don't know, and that's what I intend to find out." Ed mumbled his reply as the train squealed to a stop at the Resembool station. "Come on, Al. Let's go."


	2. Narrow Escape

**Chapter 2**

**Narrow Escape**

As the brothers got off of the train, they were suddenly ambushed. "Ed! Al! What are you doing here?" Squealed Winry as she pounced on the two boys.

"Ahhhhh! Winry!" Ed turned and hissed. "This isn't a pleasure trip, it's military business."

"Oh . . . sorry . . ." Winry hung her head sadly as she left.

"Winry, wait!" Ed called out, but Winry just continued on her way. "Great, just great!"

"You weren't exactly very nice to her. She was just happy to see us." Al pointed out.

"I know . . . I'm just a little on-edge right now." Ed straightened as he saw a commotion near one of the exits.

A figure, cloaked with what seemed to be a rough brown blanket could be seen fleeing from a tall man with a pale, x-shaped scar on his face. In the rush, the man's right shirt sleeve blew upwards, revealing a series of black tattoos.

"Brother, it's him!" Alphonse exclaimed. Confused when he didn't receive a reply, Al turned to see his brother pushing through the crowd towards the door. Sighing heavily, he started to work his way out, hoping his brother would get to the girl in time.

* * *

Gasping for breath, the cloaked figure turned quickly into a back alley. Her blanket snagged on a rough wall as she ran, but the girl didn't attempt to recover it. _Damn! I should have been more careful! I should've returned to Central when I had the chance, but now I'm going to die like a mouse that got killed by a cat . . . no one will know what happened to me._

"Stop!" The voice from behind spurred her on. "Ishballa will make you suffer for what atrocities you have committed as a state alchemist!" The voice roared after her as she left the alley and approached the river.

Without a second thought, the girl dove into the swift-moving water. Body already deprived of oxygen; she pushed off of the river bed and up to the surface, gulping in precious air. Having made this narrow escape several times now, the girl counted the seconds until her salvation, an old rope swing hanging from a oak tree, brushed her hands. Then, pulling herself from the water, she made her way into the woods.

* * *

Cursing, Ed sprinted out of the dark alleys and into the sun by the river. Carefully observing the ground, he could tell that the figure that Scar had been chasing had jumped into the river, while he returned to the town. _That must've been the Liquid Alchemist, but why was she in the station? Could she have possibly been expecting help to come and find her?_

As he was about to walk away, a bright silver glint caught Ed's eye from in the sand along the river. Picking it up, he realized that it was a pocket watch, just like his. On the back was a tear drop shape with _Good job, Leaha. From your Uncle Roy_ engraved inside of the shape.

"Brother, what happened?" Al asked as he approached his older sibling.

"Her name is Leaha." Ed announced quietly as he stood up. "If I'm right, she's Mustang's niece."

* * *

"Yah, I've seen 'er. She's a real cutie." The bartender smiled. "Prettiest black hair I've ever seen. I think she's too tall for you though."

"**What the hell's that 'sposed to mean!**" Ed snarled as Al held him back from the old man's throat. "I'm only askin' 'cuz it's State business!"

"Sure ya are. Well, the only thing I know about where she's living is that it's south of town, near or across the river."

Still pissed off, Ed grumbled his thanks and left with Al close behind. "Grrr . . . how can Leaha be so hard to find? Everyone sees and remembers her, but no one knows where she goes." Ed fumed as he sat down on the street curb.

"She must stay in or near the forest. After all, the cloak we found was transmuted from tree bark." Al offered helpfully.

"I know, but who knows how huge that forest is! Even if all of Central Head Quarters was searching in those woods, it would take forever to cover all of that ground! Maybe our best bet would bet to put up 'lost' posters for Leaha's watch." Ed sighed. "She might come for it, but chances are, Scar would too."

"Do we really have another choice?" Al questioned, doing a great job of sounding utterly pathetic.

"Honestly, Al, I don't know."


	3. Search and Rescue

**Chapter 3**

**Search and Rescue**

Shivering in her tree-cave, Leaha cursed herself time and time again. _How could I have been so stupid? From what Uncle told me, that boy must've been the Fullmetal Alchemist. If only I'd been able to talk to him . . . maybe then I wouldn't be living like a fugitive! _Feeling for the familiar form of her pocket-watch in her pants pocket, Leaha damned herself again. _Shit! I must've dropped it when I was running! _Bracing herself, another cold gust of night wind made its way into the shelter. _I'm so sick of this! That's it . . . the next time I face that Ishballan . . . will be the last._

* * *

"Huh? Ed? Al?" Winry's face displayed pure confusion as she stared at the two brothers on her door-step. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on State business." The two brothers were shivering in the dark.

"Technically, we are." Ed flushed and scratched his head. "We need to ask everyone in the area if they know where a certain State Alchemist is. If we should happen to talk about other things, have supper, and take a rest while we're here . . . I suppose that's a sacrifice we'll need to make." He finished the statement with a trade-marked smile.

"Well, then come in." Pinako called from the kitchen. "After I'd heard that you were in town, I figured that you'd be coming by for one reason or another, so I made extra stew."

* * *

After the meal was finished, Ed put both his and Leaha's pocket watches on the cleared table. "I found her's near the river along with a cloak transmuted from tree bark that's only found on trees as old as the ones in this area."

"So you believe she has a shelter in the woods?" Pinako asked. Ed nodded. "Well, didn't you three have a hideout in a hollow tree when you were young?"

"I remember that! It always smelled so good there." Winry's eyes lit up as she remembered the past.

"The trees! The trees that leave that smell in the air are the same type and age as the ones that the cloak was transmuted from!" Al exclaimed as he jumped up.

"She must be in our old oak! It would be the perfect place for her to hide!" Ed also rushed to the door.

"Hey, wait for me! Huh?" Winry was blocked as her grandmother put out her arm.

"You'll need lamps. Tell Andrew down at the store he can consider them payment for his last adjustment, okay?" The short, old woman smiled. "Now get going, and be careful."

* * *

By the time the trio got to the woods, it was nearly eleven o'clock. "Be careful." Ed warned. "Leaha may be ready to destroy anything that surprises her."

So the group continued in silence on their way to their childhood playhouse. The slightly grown-over path way lit with a golden glow from the two kerosene lamps. Wind picking up, adding to the eerie nature of the forest.

* * *

Leaha's head snapped up from its resting position on the soft ground. _I could've sworn that I heard something! _Cautiously, the girl made sure that her last resort, a white glove with a red transmutation circle was in her pants pocket and that was dry. _There it is again! Thank goodness that Uncle gave me this glove. It's too hard for me to keep a ready supply of water with me, and the air always seems to be dry when I get in a jam. _Smiling grimly, she slipped silently from her shelter and sprinted deeper into the woods. If someone was coming for her, they wouldn't win _that_ easily.

* * *

Chuckling darkly, Scar peeled himself from the shadow of a tree that was growing about ten yards from Leaha's former hiding place and began to pursue the unsuspecting alchemist.

* * *

"The dirt here is warm." Ed announced as he crawled out of the tree. "She must've just left."

"These trees all have bark missing." Al confirmed as he returned to his brother. "Just enough to make a cloak big enough to cover this opening and cover up what someone looks like."

In the distance, the three companions could hear a surprised scream followed by a thunderous crack and an exploding light. "Brother, do you think . . ." Al ventured.

"Yah. Let's go."

* * *

Leaha stood with her back to a large maple tree. "I knew I heard something." She spat angrily as Scar ran at her with his right had reaching for her head. Ducking quickly, Leaha rolled away to avoid the tree which fell when Scar tried to implode her brain.

"I don't know why you even bother. You know that you won't escape." Scar sneered as he again went for Leaha's head.

It was too late when Leaha attempted to cartwheel out of the way, and Scar grabbed her ankle. Since the alchemic reaction was already in progress, the lower part of her leg was blown away just as Ed, Al, and Winry emerged in the destroyed clearing.

Immediately, Ed clapped his hands on the ground and put up an earthen barrier between the two. "Al, Winry . . . get her out of here and try to stop any bleeding. Don't wait for me." He shouted as he rushed Scar.

"Hmph . . . Fullmetal, we meet again." Scar growled as he saw the glint of Ed's automail. "You coming here will save me the trouble of tracking you down."

* * *

"Your name is Leaha, right?" Winry asked softly as she and Al went up to the girl. Oh god! Come on, we need to get you away from here."

"No. I was given an assignment, and I intend to finish it." Leaha groaned as she pulled herself up by a tree limb.

"We need to stop the bleeding or you'll die! " Al exclaimed as Leaha destroyed the earthen barrier without a transmutation circle. "What are you doing!"

"Just get your brother out of the way." Leaha ordered as she pulled on the white glove from her pocket and slipped it snugly on her hand.

"Ed! Move!" Shouted both Al and Winry as Leaha snapped her index, middle, and ring fingers over her thumb. The resulting bursts of flame flew at the confused Ishballan and burned him to a dark, dead, crisp.

"Holy cow!" Ed gasped, noting the limited destruction to the surrounding area and Leaha's destroyed leg.

"Ugh . . ." Leaha moaned as she collapsed on the ground, unconscious from the loss of blood.


	4. So This Is Leaha

**Chapter 4**

**So This Is Leaha ...**

When the three came back holding the battered Leaha, Pinako's jaw dropped along with her pipe. "Oh my ... take her to the back room right now! Winry, I'm going to need your help with that leg. Ed, you go call her uncle, I'm sure he'll want to know what's happened."

* * *

"Sir, we found Leaha." Ed spoke into the telephone receiver.

"Good job. Wait ... how do you know what her name is? She never tells anyone what her name is." Mustang's voice suddenly took on a new note. "What's going on?"

"I found her pocket watch earlier today. She dropped it while running from Scar. By the way, he's dead." Ed added and heard a sigh of relief.

"What about Leaha? Why isn't she the one calling?" Mustang prodded.

"She got hurt when Scar apparently ambushed her." Ed replied, trying to avoid saying just how badly she'd been hurt, but Mustang cleared his throat, a signal to say more. "Scar got her leg. That alchemic reaction went off when he had a hold on her ankle. Winry and Pinako Rockbell are working on her right now to make sure she doesn't bleed to death."

"Fullmetal, you and your brother stay in Risembol. I'm going to be coming on the early morning train."

* * *

Pinako and Winry came out of the back room about two hours later. Winry's face had a slightly green tinge to it as she rested quietly in a chair.

"Is she going to be okay?" Al asked quietly.

"She will be ... eventually. The bones were shattered to a ways above her knee, so we basically had to remove everything from her mid-thigh down, much like Ed's leg." Pinako shook her head. "That must have been one of the hardest operations I've ever done."

"It's that bad?" Ed inhaled sharply as he came in. "Mustang will be here on the first train in the morning."

"I wonder if Leaha will be awake by then." Winry wondered as a muffled moan could be heard from where Leaha was resting.

"There is no way that she could be awake by then with the amount of drugs in her system and all of the trauma that she's been through." Pinako stated.

* * *

"Hey ... wake up." Ed just growled and turned his head away from the voice. He had slept in a chair at the foot of Leaha's bed while Al stayed at the train station. "Wake up!" The voice demanded again.

"Whaaa!" Ed yelped as something damp, cool, and soft hit his face. "What!" He yanked what turned out to be a wet washcloth from his head.

"Where am I?" The voice, which belonged to Leaha, asked harshly.

"The Rockbell's house. They're friends of mine. You'll be okay." Ed noticed a bit of worry in Leaha's dark eyes. "I called Mustang last night. He should be here soon."

"Why would you call him?" Leaha asked warily.

"I sent them to find you." Mustang's voice came from by the door. "Thank you for finding her in time." He whispered to Ed as he moved to Leaha's side. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, sir." Leaha replied tentatively, as if afraid of reprimand. "I completed my mission, sir."

"Ed, would you mind?" Mustang gestured for him to leave. When the blonde was gone, the Flame Alchemist sat down on the foot of the bed. "You've fulfilled protocol as a soldier, now as your uncle I want to know how you're really feeling."

"Alright. My stump hurts like mad and I feel like an incompetent moron." Leaha grimaced. "I don't want to be stuck in office doing paper work because I can't walk. How can I stay a certified alchemist?"

"Simple, the same way that Edward does." Mustang chuckled. "In all sixteen years of your life, you've never heard of automail?" He taunted. "Really ... how could one not think of it ... it's just so simple ..."

Making a face, Leaha threw another damp washcloth, hitting her uncle squarely in the face. "The thought slipped my mind. Thank you for refreshing my memory, _sir_." She grinned and made a jaunty, two fingered salute.

* * *

"Hey, I wanna see too!" Al whined quietly as he, Winry, and Ed tried to peek in the door's key hole.

"The only other person I know of who can talk like that to Mustang is Hawkeye, and she rarely does." Ed muttered as he moved out of the way so Al could look.

"Well ... he is her uncle." Winry replied just as softly. "Blood is thicker than water don't you know."

"He's leaving!" Al hissed as he almost tripped over the two blondes. "Get out of the way! He'll see us!"

Franticly, the trio rushed to the porch and pretended to be in mid-conversation as Mustang walked out into the sunshine. "Do you know where your grandmother is?" He asked. Trying not to laugh, Winry pointed towards the back yard. "Thank you. Oh, and by the way ... you three really need to work on your eavesdropping skills."

**

* * *

One Week Later**

* * *

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Winry asked as Leaha stood on her new automail leg.

"For the millionth time, yes! Don't worry, it takes more than this to keep me down." Leaha smiled lightly as she tied her glossy black hair into a ponytail. Normally, it would be French-braided to prevent any distraction in a fight, but no such activity was in her near future. "I think I'll be wearing pants more often." She grumbled. "I feel like I'm trying to make people ask about what happened to my leg." The sun coming in the window glinted off of the deep gray metal limb which was left in view by the jean shorts.

"Even if you're feeling better, you should wait a bit longer before going back to Central. It takes a while to get used to automail." Ed called through the door. "But if you want to go today, hurry up, the train's leaving soon!" A dull thud followed the tirade.

Questioningly, Leaha looked to Winry. "He banged his head on the door post. He always does that when he gets frustrated with me." The mechanic smiled evilly. "Maybe would _should_ braid your hair." Several more thuds were heard along with a low growl.

"Nah ... I'll have enough time to do it myself on the train. Besides, I don't want to hear Ed complaining the whole way to Central." Leaha smirked.

"I wouldn't!" Ed whined. "I just want to get going!

* * *

On the train to Central, Ed and Al sat in a booth across the aisle from Leaha, who was trying to rest. "How can girls take so long to get ready to go anywhere!" Ed complained to Al, glancing at Leaha. "You'd think they'd look better for wasting all that time."

"Brother ..." Al started, but the warning was too late. Leaha had already gotten up and dumped her glass of water over the blonde's head. "You should be a little more careful about what you say." The younger of the two brothers laughed.

"I thought the older sibling was supposed to be smarter and wiser." Leaha smirked (Ed swore it must be genetic). "You really should act your age instead of your hight."

"Grrr ..." Ed's features darkened as he ground his teeth. He wanted to attack her, but Ed knew by now that it was smarter to restrain himself when it came to Leaha. She'd cream him if it came down to a fight. He learned that the hard way. "You and your uncle are really a lot alike aren't you? And I don't just mean that you look like a girl version of him either."

Suddenly serious, Leaha leaned towards him. "He's my biological uncle, but as far as I'm concerned, he really is my father. Roy raised me after my parents died in the Ishballan Rebellion when I was six, so when it was all over ... I moved in with Mustang." Leaha sounded indifferent, but a glisten could be seen in her eye ... a single tear. "He's the only family that I have left."

_

* * *

I know that this wasn't very long, but I'm trying to ease into some more action, so please bear with me._


	5. Problems With Central

_A/n: sorry for this taking sooo long ... i'm kinda in a summer slump_

**Chapter 5**

**Problems With Central**

"Central City ... hoo boy." Leaha groaned as she got off of the train. "I always feel like hiding when I come here."

"What? You're scared of a little town?" Ed laughed as he walked off with a huge smile. "I love this city!"

With burning eyes and dagger teeth, Leaha struck out, grabbing Ed's ponytail, and forced him to turn back and face her. "This is the city where I found out that my parents had died, where I watched their caskets go six feet under, where I've seen more than anyone, even a state alchemist, should ever see ..." Suddenly, Leaha released her hold and began to walk away. "Never mind. Good luck and all that jazz ..."

* * *

"What!" Mustang roared at Ed's careless answer as to Leaha's whereabouts. "Why didn't you try to stop her from just LEAVING!" 

Ed and Al shrank back as the man continued to rage on. The door hinge creaked as Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda, Furrey, Falman, and Armstrong retreated into the somewhat safer hallway. "I don't understand what the big worry is. You send Leaha off on her own all the time with her assignments, right?"

"Then she keeps at least a small amount of discipline ... but when Leaha gets into a funk ... she's a loose cannon." Mustang rubbed his forehead with a gloved hand. "Get everyone in from the hallway. We're _all_ going to go search for her ... and _you_ ..." He emphasized the last word. " ... are going to apologize for being so rude."

* * *

Leaha was wandering through a deserted street when Havoc found her. Neither said anything as they walked back to the office, they just put one foot in front of the other and kept their eyes facing forwards. 

"Thank you." Leaha whispered as the pair entered Mustang's empty office. "I'm sorry for making everyone worry."

Havoc gave Leaha a sad glance, temporarily removing his cigarette from his mouth. "Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. Listen, kid, we all are going to do what we can to keep you safe, okay? We all love you more than you could possibly imagine ... especially your uncle."

She forced a smile and hugged the man who had always been like an older brother to her. "I know ..."

* * *

Slowly, the other officers returned. Mustang was the last, returning long after it became dark and everyone else had gone home for the night. Leaha was sleeping with her back against one side of Mustang's desk. Black Hayate's head rested on her lap as he kept a silent watch. The dog lifted his head as Mustang approached with a nod and small smile of thanks. Quietly, the creature left, presumably to return to Hawkeye's apartment. 

"Come on, Leaha, let's go home." Roy noticed that his 'daughter's' eyes were scrunched shut against the light pouring in from the hall.

Finally, she stood up slowly and went to her uncle's side. "I'm sorry for making you worry, sir."

"You have nothing to apologize for, but if you make me loose much more sleep, you will." Mustang chuckled as Leaha sleepily stumbled out the door, guiding her towards his dark car.

"Thank you for taking care of me for all these years. I know that I haven't always been the greatest kid in the world." Leaha murmured as she strapped herself into the passenger seat.

"You're better than some. If I ever do have a daughter of my own ... I hope she'll be like you." Roy chuckled as Leaha made a face.

"Bah! Like the world could handle another person like me. Besides, knowing you ... you'd turn the poor kid into another military dog. Anyway, you know as well as I do that any child of yours would be in serious danger." Leaha's smile disappeared as she remembered the ordeals that she had been through when she was younger, before she became a State Alchemist.

Roy noticed the silence and turned. Leaha's face was pale and her eyes were tightly shut. "Leaha? Oh great ... this again ..."

* * *

Ed lay on top of his bed, staring at the ceiling. He and Al had decided to stay in an old hotel near the Central Headquarters Building. "Al, you asleep?' He sat up and slung his legs over the side of his bed. 

"Huh? No, what is it?" A clunk could be heard as Al sat up as well.

"I don't really know ... something doesn't feel right. It's almost like something is going to happen ... something really bad." Ed pulled on his red coat and started out the door. "I felt this same feeling the night that Hughes died."

* * *

"Grace!" Mustang shouted, pounding on the door to Mrs. Hugues's house. "Grace! Open up!" 

"Huh? Roy, what's going on? Elisia's trying to sleep." Grace's voice trailed off as she noticed the rare trace of fear on Roy's face. "What's going on?"

"It's Leaha ..." Mustang glanced back to his car where Leaha was practically unconscious. "It's happening again."

* * *

Ed and Al were running through the streets of Central when a black car pulled up along side them. "Ed, Al, get in." 

Hawkeye shouted from the driver's seat. The pair climbed in quickly, knowing the tone of Hawkeye's voice ment something important was going down.

As soon as the door shut, Hawkeye gunned the engine again and took off, tearing down the street again. Noticing Havoc in the front passenger seat, Ed finally asked what was on his mind. "What's going on?"

Havoc's voice was taught with stress. "The cheif called us from the Hughes' house. He told us to hurry, and bring the two of you, if we found you along the way. Leaha's got a problem ... and that always means big trouble."

"This has happened before ... the results are never good." Hawkeye added. "Last time ... it was when her parents were killed."

"What does Leaha have to do with this?" Ed asked insistantly.

Havoc shook his head. "It isn't our place to tell you ... besides ... we're here." 


	6. Heee's Baaack! kinda

**Chapter 6**

**Heee's Baack!!! (well ... kinda)**

The four ran into the house and halted as they saw someone who they'd thought was long-gone, Hughes. The black-haired man stood in the center of the living room, laughing.

"What the ..." Ed stopped in the center of the doorway, staring as Hughes approached him.

"Hey, Edward, how've you been? Al, nice to see you too. Sorry you've got to see me like this." Hughes chuckled as he stuck his hand through his stomach. "The first time you talk to someone you knew as a spirit is always ... un-nerving."

"How did you ... what I mean is ..." Al struggled to find the right words. "How did you come back?"

Hughes looked to Mustang, who shook his head. "I can't tell you how, but I will tell you WHY I'm here. You know, it's strange really ... I'm just 'here' long enough to give you my message, and then I'm back on the other side." Hughes "walked" two of his fingers over an imaginary bridge.

"Hurry up and tell us what you have to say, Maes. You know what happens the longer you stay." Mustang ordered.

"Uh ... right. The ones who are responsible for my death, the homonculi, are getting ready for a major offensive. All seven of them are together, and they're out for blood, a lot of blood." The room became smothered in silence. "You have to be ready. Ed, Al, and Leaha are going to be in the most danger. You three are the only ones who have lived to see the other side of the Gate, so you're going to be targeted the most, probably." Hughes turned to face Ed and Al. "I don't want to see any of you three on my side, understand?" The brothers nodded as Hughes slowly faded away. "Stay together, you'll be strongest that way ..."

Ed wiped away a stray tear from the corner of his eye. He really hadn't expected to get a chance to see Hughes again, and he yet he still hadn't had the chance to say good bye. He looked around the room. "Where is Leaha anyway?" When he met their eyes, Havoc and Hawkeye looked away.

Mustang sighed. "She's in the bathroom upstairs." The colonel waved a hand tiredly toward the stairway that led to the second floor of the house. Ed nodded and started up the stairs. "She'll kill you if you try to go check on her, Ed."

"I doubt she could, but thanks for the warning anyway."

* * *

"Forgive me for saying this, but if Hughes wasn't already dead, I'd kill him right now." Leaha moaned quietly and vomited into the toilet again while Gracia held her hair back. "Why'd he have to take so damn _long_?"

"Sweety, you know Maes ... I'm sorry." Gracia filled a cup with cold water from the sink and offered it to Leaha. "Rinse your mouth with this and spit it out when you're done. Do you think you'll be okay now?"

"Yes, I'll be fine." Leaha attempted to stand, but fell to the floor. "I just need a while longer to recover. Don't worry about me ... I'll be fine."

Gracia watched Leaha closely. "I'll go tell Roy to come up and check on you in a bit. He'll know if you're pushing yourself too hard." Gracia left and shut the door. Almost immediately, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Leaha snapped.

"Ed."

"Go away." Leaha ordered.

"I'm coming in." Ed replied stubbornly.

"No, you're not!" Leaha placed her hands on the door and transmuted it into solid wall.

"Yes, I am!" The wall was transmuted back into the door which Ed pushed his way through.

"What do you want?" Leaha snarled as she forced herself to stand up.

Ed recoiled slightly from the scent of vomit that still clung to the room. "Hughes said that you'd seen the other side of the Gate. How and when did that happen?!" Ed demanded.

"That is none of your damn business!" Leaha yelled. "Why the hell would I tell you anything?!"

"You know what ... fine ... be that way!" Ed growled. "I should have let Scar kill you!"

"Psh ... that's funny ..." Leaha snarled. "I could have _sworn_ that _I _was the one who killed that man, not you."

"What's going on in here?!" Mustang roared as he entered the room. "Both of you, grow up. You're acting like children."

Leaha flinched as if she'd been slapped. "I'm sorry, Musta- ... sir."

"Heh ... whatever." Ed growled as he shouldered his way past the colonel and out of the bathroom.

"You need to keep a check on your temper." Roy chided his niece. "You shouldn't let him get under your skin so easily, especially since I'm now assigning you to work with him at all times."

"WHAT?!" Leaha's stone-soldier facade crumbled. "You _can't _be serious!"

"I am serious. You're going to have to learn how to get along with the Elrics."

Leaha continued to plead with her uncle. "I get along with Al just fine, but don't make me work with Ed. I _can't_ stand him! He's just another simple, egotistical alchemist that thinks the Philosopher's Stone will solve all of his problems! Uncle, I can't ... no ... I _won't _work with someone like him!"

* * *

Edward stood silently in the hallway and listened. Each complaint by Leaha made him feel like he was being stabbed repeatedly by a dagger in his chest. He walked down the corridor quietly and returned to the living room. "Al, let's go." Ed looked away from the pairs of accusing eyes that were watching him and went outside.

"Brother, we can't just leave!" Al protested as he also left the house. "You heard what Lieutenant Colonel Hughes said, all three of us should stay together."

"She doesn't want to work with me." Ed replied. "I believe the exact words she used to describe me were 'simple' and 'egotistical'."

"Brother, you _have_ been especially pig-headed since we met Leaha." Al touched his brother's shoulder carefully. "Maybe you should back down for once and give Leaha a chance."

* * *

"Heh ... are you ready?"

"Of course, killing these three kids will be fun ..."

"Just remember the plan."

"Plan, shman ... let's move."

* * *

Ed brushed Al's hand off. "I'm going back to the hotel."

"Well, I'm staying here." Al announced. "Hughes wouldn't have told us to stay together unless he had a really good reason."

Ed groaned. "Al, he was probably over-reacting to some rumor he heard from some other lonely spirit."

"But what about the homunculi? Brother, I'm really worried. I don't like this at all."

"You shouldn't." Lust's voice echoed as the siblings dodged an attack by her finger-nails. "So the man did warn you ... oh well, at least that means the Liquid Alchemist is weak." She smiled devilishly and charged Alphonse with her nails extended.

"Oh shit! Leaha!" Ed turned to run back into the house, but he was blocked by the ever-hungry Gluttony. "Damnit!"

* * *

Leaha splashed some water on her face and turned off the sink. "What's that sound? It sounds like the walls are ..." The boards in the wall facing the street began to creak, break, and collapse. "Oh no ..." Leaha's eyes widened as she took a step backwards in fear.

"Oh _yes_. Remember me, girly?" Greed laughed darkly as he entered the gaping hole. "Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?"

"Quit playing around." Envy snarled and grabbed Leaha's arm. "Let's go, brat."

"I'm not going _anywhere_ with you!" Leaha slammed the heel of her automail leg into Envy's toes and made a rush for the door.

"Not so fast." Greed laughed again as he attempted to block her way. Leaha dodged him, transmuted the door into solid wall, and grabbed Elisia from her bedroom.

"Out. Now." Leaha passed Elisia to her mother and started to herd the adults towards the back door.

"What's going on up there?" Hawkeye demanded.

"No time. Out the back door and run." Leaha ordered as two sets of heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs.

"Here pretty, pretty, pretty ..." Called Envy.

"GO!" Hissed Leaha before she ran out the front door yelling. "Come and get me, morons!" The two male homunculi growled and followed the young alchemist while the adults and child escaped.

* * *

"Fools! You were supposed to get rid of her inside of the house!" Lust cursed Greed and Envy.

"It's not my fault that Greed is useless!" Envy cursed back.

The five homunculi (Lust, Greed, Envy, Wrath, and Gluttony) were locked in battle against the three teen alchemists. Both sides were growing tired of the battle.

"How about we take this to the next level?!" Leaha laughed as she clapped her hands to the ground. "Now, things will get interesting."

"You don't think she's ..." Lust froze. "... no."

"... scary..." Gluttony whimpered as he tried to hide behind Lust.

The ground began to shake and a bright light erupted around Leaha.

"No! Make it stop! Make! IT! **STOP!!!!" **Wrath screamed as he fell to the ground.

Envy glared at Greed. "This is why we were supposed to get rid of her _early_."

Ed and Al watched from the side. "Brother, what's going on?" Al wondered out-loud.

"I'm not sure, Al." Ed responded.

The shaking stopped and the light faded to reveal Leaha standing in front of the Gate. "You five know that I can send you back without any trouble at all. I can seal you away, never to return again. Is that what you want?"

Ed's jaw dropped as Leaha continued to speak. "She just ... the Gate ... how?"

* * *

_A/n: I'm sorry this took forever for me to update ... I've had a really bad writer's block on this story, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep writing._


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